In DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, the main opposition party CHADEMA has been disqualified from upcoming elections, as announced by a senior election commission official on Saturday. This decision comes shortly after the party’s leader was charged with treason for allegedly attempting to disrupt the election process.
Ramadhani Kailima, the director of elections at the Independent National Elections Commission, stated that CHADEMA failed to sign a required code of conduct document by the deadline, leading to their exclusion from the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October. Kailima emphasized that any party failing to comply with the code of conduct would be ineligible to participate in the general election, including all by-elections until 2030.
Tundu Lissu, the leader of CHADEMA and a former presidential candidate, was charged with treason, further drawing attention to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s approach to human rights issues amidst her bid for re-election. Critics, including rights activists and opposition groups, have accused Hassan’s administration of targeting political opponents through unexplained abductions and killings, while the government denies such claims and has initiated investigations into alleged abductions.
The ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM), has defended the government’s record on human rights, refuting any involvement in rights abuses. CHADEMA has not yet responded to the election commission’s decision, but had previously declared its intent to boycott the code of conduct signing ceremony in pursuit of electoral reforms.
Prosecutors accused Lissu of inciting rebellion and obstructing the election process, leading to his treason charge, which carries a potential death penalty. Prior to this disqualification, CHADEMA had threatened to boycott the elections unless significant electoral reforms were implemented to address perceived biases favoring the ruling party.
